


bonfires

by Serie11



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bonfires, Domestic, Established Relationship, F/F, Family, Happy Ending, Post-Canon, Reflection, Vala Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-13 15:34:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21158690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serie11/pseuds/Serie11
Summary: She looks up at the night sky and listens to the low crackle of the fire that barely doesn’t cover Vala’s breathing. “I’m happy too, you know.”“Yeah?” Aloy doesn’t need to see Vala to hear the smile in her voice. “After everything that’s happened… I’m glad to hear that, Aloy. Really glad.”





	bonfires

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunspot (unavoidedcrisis)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unavoidedcrisis/gifts).

Aloy stretches her feet out towards the bonfire, leaning back against the log that’s situated perfectly – far enough away that the heat from the fire isn’t uncomfortable, but close enough that she can still feel the licks of warmth from it.

On the other side of the fire, Vala pokes another stick into the flames. The flare of brightness as the leaves are consumed lights up her face, and deepens the shadows across the hollows of her collarbones.

“We should be fine for the night,” Aloy says. “There’s a herd of grazers over the hill, but as long as we don’t move they shouldn’t bother us.”

“You didn’t bring any blaze back?” Vala asks. “That would keep the fire going for longer than just these branches.”

“Nah,” Aloy says. “Disrupting the herd might mean they range further than normal. I don’t know about you, but I don’t fancy waking up because a herd of striders have trampled over the camp.”

“Ha, true enough,” Vala says. She brings her hands up to the fire to warm them. “Still a bit unsettling. I know all of the ways that the herds range in Nora lands… here, I’m not so sure.”

“Most things are the same,” Aloy muses, looking over the valley they ended up camping in. “It’s colder, but the fire should keep us warm enough. And if you want to come and cuddle with me over here, we shouldn’t even have to think about the cold.” She waggles her eyebrows at Vala.

Vala laughs. “Well, how can I resist an invitation like that?” She stands, and Aloy leans into her side after she sits down beside her.

It’s peaceful, with only the crackling of the fire to break the stillness of the night. Aloy is used to the silence of the wilderness, but Vala grew up in the communal cabins of the Nora, and Aloy can’t help but think that it must be strange for her.

“You know, these are some of my favourite times,” Vala says.

“Hm?”

“Just… sitting beside you. Looking up at the stars, without anyone to distract us or say that we’re wasting time… When I was younger I always wanted to get out and prove myself, but I didn’t really have any defined goals besides showing my mother that I was strong enough to stand on my own. When we left the Sacred Lands for the first time and I realised how big the world was, that left my goal feeling pretty small… especially when I did get her acknowledgement.” Vala sighs.

“And nights like these fill that gap?” Aloy asks.

Vala hums. “Something like that. I think it’s more like… they make me realise that I don’t _need _a goal. Not if I’m with you. We can just continue down this path together, figuring things out along the way. And if we do find something that needs our attention, or a longer term commitment, then I think that we could just – do it. We’re adaptable like that.”

Aloy can’t help but grin. “I think you mean, we’re awesome like that.”

Vala laughs. “Yeah, yeah that works too.”

Aloy finds the north star in the sky. That was the first star that Rost had taught her to recognise – he had always been worried about her getting lost and not being able to navigate home. That it shines even in the Cut is reassuring.

“Any plans for tomorrow?”

“I thought you just said that we didn’t need a plan,” Aloy teases.

“I said that we could change any time we wanted,” Vala huffs. “That doesn’t mean going without a plan whatsoever. I know you like to charge right in, but planning out a hunt beforehand never hurts.”

“You’re better at planning than me, anyway,” Aloy tells her. “But if you come up with something, I’ll follow it.”

“You’ll try to, you mean,” Vala says wryly. “Though most of my plans do seem to explode slightly upon contact with you. I wonder if that’s your fault or mine…”

“You already said it,” Aloy reminds her. “We’re adaptable enough to not need a plan.”

“That’s certainly reassuring.” Vala reaches over to fetch her bedroll, and lays it out next to the fire. “Currently, my plan is to get a long night’s rest. That’ll prepare you for most things, you know.”

“Yes, you’ve told me plenty of times,” Aloy agrees. She fetches her own bedroll and places it so that she’s next to the fire as well, but her head will be near Vala’s. They’ve already gotten ready for sleep already, so she just checks the fire again before wriggling inside.

“Everything fine?”

“Everything fine,” Aloy replies. She looks up at the night sky and listens to the low crackle of the fire that barely doesn’t cover Vala’s breathing. “I’m happy too, you know.”

“Yeah?” Aloy doesn’t need to see Vala to hear the smile in her voice. “After everything that’s happened… I’m glad to hear that, Aloy. Really glad.”

Aloy closes her eyes, but she can still feel Vala’s presence. “Yeah. Me too.”

Under the stars and with Vala’s presence warming her heart, Aloy has no trouble falling asleep, ready to rise in the morning to face the new day.


End file.
